Lackawanna County Commissioner Bill Gaughan wants to protect residents’ air quality from data centers that often include diesel-powered backup generators.
"I believe we owe residents our due diligence. We owe them our transparency, and we owe them the confidence that before anything is approved, any massive industrial infrastructure is approved, we as county commissioners, have examined every lawful tool available to protect their air, their neighborhoods and their children," he said.
During a commissioners meeting Wednesday, Gaughan asked county solicitor Paul James Walker to provide a legal opinion on whether the county can adopt an air quality ordinance that is more protective than current state and federal minimum standards.
Gaughan’s request comes from a report he read from Maryland-based Community & Environmental Defense Services (CEDS), which was founded by Richard Klein in 1987. CEDS focuses on development-related issues. In 2025, the organization conducted a survey of those living near 33 data centers in 25 states.
"They found a single data center could pose negative health risks for people living at least a little bit over half a mile away, sometimes further,” Gaughan said.
According to the study, "carbon monoxide, particulates, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides, and other pollutants emitted from data center diesel generators can pose a significant regional and local public health risk."
Gaughan said it also suggests that states require data centers to provide health impact assessments before they are built and that risks increase when a home is near multiple data centers, he said.
"This is not about being anti-development. This is about being pro-health. It's not about waiting until after facilities are built and residents are complaining about air quality and noise to ask whether we could have done more," he said.
The ordinance's impetus
Archbald in Lackawanna County has six data center campuses proposed for the borough — the most of any municipality in the state. Gaughan has been attending public meetings related to the developments.
"If everything goes through, we're talking dozens and dozens of data centers. This report raises serious red flags about that,” he said.
Archbald residents asked for an air quality ordinance, Gaughan said. Borough council’s Feb. 18 agenda lists a motion to allow the solicitor to draft an air quality and public health protection ordinance, according to Archbald’s website.
"That ordinance represents a local step beyond state minimums, requiring cumulative air impact modeling, independent environmental review, operational safeguards for generator testing and financial assurances for long term impacts,” he said.
Gaughan said it's his understanding that states and local governments are permitted to adopt air quality standards that are more protective than federal and state minimums.
"In other words, we are not automatically limited to doing the bare minimum if public health demands stronger safeguards, which in this case, I believe it does,” he said.
Research requested
Gaughan asked Walker to research if:
- The county could pass an ordinance that includes a cumulative impact analysis and emission safeguards consistent with both state law and the Clean Air Act.
- Require developers of large facilities with multiple combustion-based generators to provide cumulative air impact studies to the county planning department before approval.
- If the county is legally permitted to regulate or limit how and when large diesel generators are tested or operated to reduce concentrated air impacts.
- If the county has the authority to establish enhanced setbacks or protections for sensitive areas like schools, childcare facilities, hospitals and residential neighborhoods.
- To work with Lackawanna County Planning Director Mary Liz Donato to evaluate model ordinance language and return it to commissioners with a formal review and recommendation.
